Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is Delayed to 2019, Vita Version is Cancelled

Backers and fans looking forward to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will have to wait a bit longer for the kickstarted Metroidvania title, while those who pre-ordered the PlayStation Vita version will have to look to a new platform to experience the game at all.

In an update to the game’s official Kickstarter, former lead producer of the Castlevania series and designer of Bloodstained Koji Igarashi announced the game had been delayed from its 2018 release window into 2019 to better respond to input from the game’s beta backer demo. In addition, the game will no longer be released on PlayStation Vita due to the system’s discontinuation. Those who backed the game with the intention of receiving a Vita version will be able to change their intended platform or can receive a full refund.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment, but rest assured we are working harder than ever to deliver the game we all made happen together, please bear with us for a little longer and I thank you for your continued support,” Igarashi wrote.

Roberto Piraino, global brand manager for the game’s publisher 505 Games, assured backers the extra time would be used to polish the game up as much as possible, and that the decision to cancel the Vita version didn’t come easily.

“Being a huge PlayStation & Sony fan myself, I also know cancelling the Vita version of the game may be disappointing to some of you, but with Sony’s plans to discontinue the console and physical production of games, removing Vita titles from PS+ lineups etc., it was an unfortunate but necessary decision to make,” Piraino wrote. “We really hope you’ll continue to support us on one of the other platforms available.”

Originally funded via Kickstarter in 2015, Bloodstained is a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series. As Miriam, an orphan who was experimented on by alchemists out to bring demons and their powers into the human world, players must eliminate different enemies to gain their powers and take on a similar victim of experimentation who has lost their mind to the demonic forces they were subjected to. The title has similar gameplay and design to the 2D entries in the Castlevania series, featuring gameplay with 2D exploration and the use of a wide array of powers and attacks against enemies scattered throughout an evil castle. The game also saw the release of a supplementary offshoot titled Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, which placed players in the role of four key characters in a prequel to the core game’s story.

Bloodstained is currently slated for release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.